[4] The lemon, like many other cultivated Citrus species, is a hybrid, in its case of the citron and the bitter orange.

[8] Lemons entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the second century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome.

[7] The lemon was first recorded in literature in a 10th-century Arabic treatise on farming; it was used as an ornamental plant in early Islamic gardens.

[7] In 1747, the English physician James Lind's experiments on seamen suffering from scurvy involved adding lemon juice to their diets, though vitamin C was not yet known as an important dietary ingredient.

[7][10] Lemons need a minimum temperature of around 7 °C (45 °F), so they are not hardy year-round in temperate climates, but become hardier as they mature.

[11] Throughout summer, pinching back tips of the most vigorous growth assures more abundant canopy development.

[12][13] In cultivation in the UK, the cultivars "Meyer"[14] and "Variegata"[15] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).

This is the common supermarket lemon, also known as "Four Seasons" (Quatre Saisons) because of its ability to produce fruit and flowers together throughout the year.

Lemon zest, the grated outer rind of the fruit, is used to add flavor to baked goods.

[36] In the United Kingdom, lemon juice is frequently added to pancakes eaten to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.

[38] Lemon peel is used in the manufacture of pectin, a gelling agent and stabilizer in food and other products.

[39] In Mediterranean countries including Morocco, lemons are preserved in jars or barrels of salt.

[41] The leaves of the lemon tree are used to make a tea and for preparing cooked meats and seafoods.

Lemon oil aroma does not influence the human immune system,[44] but may contribute to relaxation.

[45] An educational science experiment involves attaching electrodes to a lemon and using it as a battery to produce electricity.

[52] A wall painting in the tomb of Nakht in 15th century BC Egypt depicts a woman in a festival, holding a lemon.

[52] In India, a lemon may be ritually encircled around a person in the belief that it repels negative energies.

[54] Hindu deities are sometimes depicted with lemons in their iconography, representing the attribute of wealth or abundance.